Patna: Vikas, alias Raja, one of the accused in the murder of Bihar businessman and BJP leader Gopal Khemka, was shot dead in an encounter with police in the early hours of Tuesday.
The encounter took place when Special Investigation Team cops and a Special Task Force (STF) team reached Vikas’ residence, in Patna’s Malsalami area, for interrogation in connection with Khemka’s murder.
Vikas, who was suspected to be involved in manufacturing and selling of illegal weapons, opened fire at policemen as soon as he spotted them. He was killed in retaliatory firing, around 3 am.
Vikas’ body has been sent for post-mortem.
“Raja (aka Vikas) opened fire at the police after which the accused was shot in the ensuing gun battle. The connection of Raja is yet to be fully established, but the police had gone to question him for his dubious role, as he came across as a supplier of illegal weapons and is suspected to have made available the weapon used in the murder at the behest of Umesh alias Vijay Yadav, who is in the police net,” said Senior SP Kartikey Sharma.
Sharma told Hindustan Times said Vikas was previously involved in contract killing and arms supply. In this case, Vikas was the person who supplied arms and ammunition to Umesh.
Umesh was among two persons arrested from Malasalami area on Monday.
Another person, suspected to have hired the contract killer, has been detained.
Khemka was shot dead outside his Patna home by a bike-borne assailant at 11.40 pm on July 4, seven years after miscreants had gunned down his son in Hajipur.
